Shards
by struggling with reality
Summary: Following S1 E13 Betty and Jughead navigate the waters of their relationship as the Serpents, Toni Topaz, and life seems to throw obstacles in their way. Has mentions and a few scenes of self-harm. Mostly Bughead because I'm hardcore shipping them right now. This is my first Fanfic so I could really use some tips and advice. Thank you to everyone who actually reads this stuff.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 

_Jughead suddenly looked dark and distant as he slipped into the new South Side Serpent jacket. Things would never be the same again. "Juggie?" She called meekly. He turned to look at her. Betty looked so scared, but why? The Serpents would help them, protect them even. She had nothing to be afraid of..._

 _Juggie nodded towards the serpents and brushed his sleeve across his face like he always did when he was overcome with emotion. "Thank you..." he whispered, not knowing what to say. They saluted and left. "We'll see you around, Jones." The one who had given Jughead the jacket came up and whispered in his ear. " I need to know your descision in two weeks."_

 _After they had finally left Jughead went back inside. "Betty, I-" He started to say._

 _"You're not going to join them? Are you Juggie?" Betty glanced his way and gasped when she saw the look in his eye. "You can't possible be serious...Think of what it will do... to us." She whispered._

 _"Betty, **nothing** will happen. Trust me. The Serpents will protect us and," he paused," and I finally have a home again." He looked up at her, expecting her to understand. _

_"Juggie, I thought **we** were your family. You'll always have us."_

 _"I know Archie, Veronica, and you have all been good to me, but I'm moving to Southside pretty soon so this will help me, you know, fit in more. I'm not going to have anyone there, at the school, and the Serpents are good allies to have. It's were the powers to be want me." He said repeating what he had said after the first time they found out he was in South Side High._

 _"But Juggie," Betty started," when you move to Southsode things **will** change. Wheather you or I do anything or not, we won't see each other as much and I don't think they're the best influences for you. You'll change, Juggie. I can already feel us growing apart. We don't communicate as much as we did now..."_

 _She went silent as Jughead leaned in and kissed her. Her hand went up to touch his face. " Betty, it will be okay." He whispered in her ear as he held her in his arms. And in that moment she believed him._

* * *

The first week nothing really noticeable happened. Betty and Jughead still communicated frequently and met up together. But by the second week Betty could tell she was losing him little by little.

"I just don't know what to do,V." She said at luch to her friend. "It's like we're slowly drifting away and there's nothing I can do to stop it."

Veronica looked at her. " Betty, knowing you, you **always** have a plan of action or something. I'm sure everything will be alright. He's probably just adjusting to his new foster family. Hey," V said standing up," I promised Ethel that I'd meet her at lunch, so talk later?" Betty plastered on a fake smile and nodded her head. "If you really want to do something right now, just make him food. You know Jughead will come running back into your arms then." Veronica smirked as she strutted away to her other friend.

Betty felt bad that she bothered V with it. Honestly, right now things weren't **that** bad. It was just, she no longer had Juggie to confine in anymore. After school, taking her friend's advice, she whipped up a plate of brownies for Jughead and his foster family.

"Hello," the mother said opening the door. She was middle-aged and seemed nice enough. _I wonder what Juggie thinks of her?_

"Hi, I was wondering if I could see Jughead? You're his new foster family, right?" The lady nodded and motioned her inside.

" His room is upstairs on the right."

Betty knocked softly and pushed open the door. She gasped. Jughead was hugging another girl. At her gasp they pulled apart guilty, of at least Jughead did. " I-I can leave if this is a bad time..."

He shook his head and moved his hair through his head. His signature beanie was laying on his desk. "Betts...how are you?"

The purple haired girl walked up to Betty. "Hi, I'm Toni. You're Betty, right? I've heard Jug talk about you." _So Juggie has two nicknames now. He hates when people make up names for him._ Betty smiled at her.

"Hi. I'm Betty. I made some brownies for Jughead. You guys can share them; that is if you can grab one without him looking. I have to go though." She head out the door.

Jughead followed her. "Betty, wait." He looked into her eyes and he could tell she was clearly processing what she had walked in on.

"Dinner at Pop's tonight? Seven o'clock? I'll meet you there." He sounded hopeful.

" Sounds great, Juggie. See you then."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Jughead glanced at the time on the dashboard. It read 6:20. He'd have forty minutes until he met up with Betty. When the car rolled to a stop he hopped out, thanked Toni, and headed towards the Whyte Worm. A dog got up and barked at him. "Good Hot Dog," the man at the front of the building said while tossing a piece of chicken to quite him. "You the Jones boy?" He turned addressing the newcomer. Jughead tried not to show how nervous he was when he nodded. "He's near the back of the bar." The man grunted out. Jughead made his way through the crowd of people. _This is where the powers to be want me._ He repeated in his head the words he had said before. _Well, so be it._ Jughead finally made his way to the back of the bar and coughed loud enough to catch the man's attention. It was the same man who had been the spokesperson when they had met before.

"I have my answer for you."

* * *

Betty nibbled on the pink straw in her vanilla milkshake as she waited for Jughead. It wasn't that she minded because Jughead had done so much for her before that it was a big deal. She could wait a bit more. The thing that bothered her was that it was already 8:00 and she hadn't finished her article she was going to post in the Blue and Gold tomorrow. And maybe it slightly bothered her that he was late and that she was feeling rejected. Pushing those thoughts out of their head she slipped a look at her phone. There was a message from Veronica.

 **Veronica: Hey, B. What's up?**

 **Betty: Just writing for the Blue and Gold. You? Do you need to talk?**

 **Veronica: Well, I know this is really last minute, but I'm going to be gone for a little bit. Just wanted to let you know.**

 **Betty: Okay. Is everything okay, V?**

 **Veronica: Yah, actually it's great! Since my dad got out of jail he wants to "apologize" to us by taking us to New York for a while. Sorry I couldn't say goodbye in person.**

 **Betty: Oh that's great, V. I hope you have fun.**

She turned off her phone even though V was still typing. Everyone was leaving her it seemed. _Juggie..._ her thoughts rambled on. _That girl had been hugging Juggie._ She didn't know what to think of it. _Juggie can explain; I trust him. Maybe he wasn't comming because she had made things awkward. Maybe this was all her fault. Why hadn't she made more of an effort. Maybe if she had been a better girlfriend he wouldn't have to spill his feelings with her,_ she thought resentfully. No, she needed to stop. She was getting all worked up for no reason. There was no need to be jealous. She looked at her phone again. It was 8:45. She sighed as she got up and paid Pop. _I'm sure Jughead will have an important reason why he didn't come._ She murmured to herself, trying to convince herself, but doubt lingered in her mind.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Betty sat in the Blue and Gold office not being able to concentrate on what she was supposed to do. She couldn't stop the reoccurring picture of Jughead's arms wrapped around the girl called Toni...and being stood up last night at Pop's. The dismissal bell shook her out of her thoughts. She grabbed her books and locked up the room. Betty noticed her parents were out when she came back to the house. _At least I won't have to go through interrogation time with Mamma Cooper_ , she thought sarcasticly. Betty immediately headed up to her room and plopped onto her comfy bed. She was about to drift off to sleep when a soft tap on the windowpane startled her. Betty sprang up from the mattress and couldn't help but give a small smile when she saw who it was. Betty rushed to the window and helped Jughead in. "Hey there, Romeo," she whispered almost shyly. Her smile dimmed when it wasn't reciprocated. "Juggie..."

Jughead stood looking like he had lost some sleep but she could see that look in his eye that he got when he was determined to do something. "Betts, I'm sorry I couldn't make it last night."

Pushing away all the negative thoughts she had been feeling she laughed lightheartedly. "Juggie, it's fine. We all forget things." He avoided Betty's gaze and she felt dread creep up in the pit of her stomach. "What? What is it?"

"I think we should break up." He stated. "No, we **need** to break up." He repeated as if reassuring himself. Before Betty could say anything Jughead contimued. "It hasn't been working out. We both have noticed that. It's hard to keep up with each other and we're not right for each other; everyone can see that. It's time move on."

Betty opened her mouth as tears filled her wide blue eyes. She shook her head not wanting to hear what he was saying. Stupid Betty, this is so stupid of you. You should've seen this comming. "That is not true, Juggie. I'm **not** going to give up on this relationship just because it's getting a little 'hard' right now." Betty fought against the urge to dig her nails into her palms. "Is it about Toni? Your foster family? Your dad? Juggie, we can work through whatever it is together!"

"Maybe I don't even want your help? Did I ever ask for it? Do you really care about me or is it like that little birthday party you threw for me because you knew me so well." Jughead snapped back at her. "I joined the Serpents, Betty." He shut his eyes as he heard her intake of breath.

" You couldn't have? Think of what they do, Juggie, they-"

"Well, sorry I didn't have your permission, Ms. Cooper, but some people have to go make their own way in the world because they don't get things handed to them on a silver platter." He didn't stop because he knew if he saw the look on her face he wouldn't be able to follow through with this. "It's over, Betty Cooper, I'm breaking up with you."

Betty sobbed and tried to reach out to Jughead. He stiffened as if her hands were burning him. "Juggie..." she pleaded.

He had already moved away from her, crawled through the window, and gotten back on the ladder. "And for the record, Betty," Jughead said. "I thought you were better than the rest of them, but your not. You say you support the Serpents and my dad, but is it all for show just because I was your boyfriend? I mean, don't take me wrong, but if you really cared for me you would be happy that I have the Serpents because unlike other things, it's something that I actually want."

Betty didn't even relize she had curled her hand into a fist until she felt the drops of blood dripping onto her shoes. She looked down at her palms and hurriedly went to the bathroom to wash them off. Then, the reality of what Jughead had said hit her full _. Betty, I'm breaking up with you. It's not working; everyone can see that._ "No," she whispered to herself as she slid to the floor and put her head in her hands. "No, it can't be. He said he loved me." _He said he loved me._ Betty curled up into a ball and lay there weeping because the only boy she had ever truly loved had just broken her heart into a thousand tiny shards.

 _To be continued..._


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Jughead took his time as he walked home. The scene he had desperately wanted to avoid kept replaying over and over in his mind. The inevitable was going to happen sooner or later. He just wish it wasn't like that. And now he had crushed Betty's heart. A sin that he would never be able to fix. A permanent scar to their relationship. He had loved Betty, truly. That's why he had done this, for her own good. Toni had told him that this would keep Betty safe. Physically maybe, but right now he wasn't too sure on her emotional health...

 _What had he done?_

* * *

Betty sat at the foot of her bed staring off into the darkness. Somehow she had cleaned up the bathroom and her hands, gotten through dinner, even escaped Polly's suspicious glances, and now here she was. Alone. Without Jughead. _Just Betty Cooper. with her darkness._ She glanced at her phone, tempted to text V, but she pushed the thought away. She didn't want to bother her. That's what she was- _Betty Cooper was a bother_. Everyone pushed her away, but still she pushed on. _Betty, you can't give up so easily. This isn't over yet, Juggie. I_ will _fight_ _for us..._

* * *

Jughead was unusually quiet at school the next day. Instead of joining in with his friends' crude humor, he got up and moved away in annoyance. Toni gave him a glance before following him.

"Hey, Jug. How are you doing?" She said sitting next to him. "Did Betty take it well?"

Jughead ran his hands over his face and groaned. "No," he whispered.

Toni sat there with him the rest of lunch. She patted his shoulder and murmured," It will be okay, Jug. It was for the best- for Betty's safety." Toni waited as the bell rang and everyone got up. She watched Jughead throw away his trash and shuffle through the mass of people. A small devious smile appeared on her face before she got up and headed to class.

 _To be continued..._


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi guys! I'm so sorry it took me so long to post this chapter. I really appreciate your comments and everyone who's following the story.**

 **Guest: I'm not looking forward to Toni coming either. I'm sorry if you originally liked Toni, but this story is really biased against her. XD**

 **Nikkiconq92: Thank you so much! That comment was so sweet. I really appreciated that. Yah, keep reading to find out. :)**

 **Lover_bug: I'm sorry. This is frustrating to me too, but I don't know how to change that. Nevertheless, the story is NOT over yet, so please stick around.**

 **Guest: I did know that, but not when I first started watching the show. Also, do you mean Cole Sprouse?**

* * *

Chapter 5

Betty sat with her friends at a booth in Pop's. "Betty, are you okay? You've been...quieter lately. Nothing happened to you and Jughead?" Kevien asked worriedly.

Betty laughed. "I'm fine, Kevien." She was about to open her mouth to say something else when Chuck Clayton walked by their booth. Avoiding his eye contact, she glanced away and took interest in her partially eaten hamburger. He chuckled softly and gave her a small smile. She blushed and was thankful he passed by without saying anything.

Kevin glared at his retreating figure. "Betty, you need to be careful. Chuck is probably plotting some revenge for what Jughead did to him at the party." Kevien and Archie began to comment, but the only voice she heard was herself.

 _"You want to go all dark, no stars, Veronica? I'm in." A picture of Chuck going under the water in the jacuzzi. "Say it, Jason!" Then Juggie's party. "But you knew that, Jughead?"_

Someone was nudging her. "See you later then?" She nodded dully in response as her two friends left. Betty glanced down; her hands had broken the scabs of her old wounds. She got up and headed into the bathroom to wash her palms. Afterwards, feeling a sudden rush of courage, she pulled out her phone.

 **Betty: Hey, Juggie...I was wondering if you wanted to meet up somewhere? To talk?**

 **Jughead: Sure. Let's meet at the old drive in movies in a few.**

Jughead walked around the renevated lot. He sighed, missing the good old days when life was simpler, or when his family was together. He turned around when he heard footsteps thinking it to be Betty.

"T-Toni? What are you doing here?"

The teen ran, flinging her arms around him, and immediately started sobbing. In shock, Jughead froze completely. Another pair of footsteps. Betty. _Crud._

Betty had come and wandered around until she came upon Juggie. With her again. Toni. She turned and began walking away.

Jughead, regaining his senses, pushed the purple haired girl away from him. "What are you doing?"

"I'm - I'm sorry," she spluttered. "It's just, well, my family." She broke off again. He knew her family was dysfunctional and knowing how Toni never displayed her emotions like that ment it must have been really bad. But poor Betty. To walk in on them again.

"It's okay, Jug. Go get Betty. You need to talk to her. I'll be fine." He gave a fleeting glance of empathy before sprinting away. Her tear stained face became suddenly calm. "Yes, go Jughead Jones." She quietly scoffed. "Go comfort poor little Betty, but your a Serpent now. Things won't always stay the same."

* * *

Betty's eyes swarmed with tears as the wind whipped around her face. She had been so ready; whatever Jughead might've said she would've taken, but it was the unspoken... that was the hardest blow. Why did her heart continue to hope against logic that Toni being so near with Jughead and Southside High would somehow not effect their relationship? She heard Juggie's labored breathing behind her.

"Betty, wait, please. I can explain." The most clichè words falling out of his mouth.

She was suddeny tired, tired of trying to avoid Jughead. That was why she stopped, pivoted, and turned to face him. "Well? Go on, explain, Jughead." Her voice came out firmly.

"Toni's family just went through things and they've been really hard on her. She just came up to me and started crying. I'm sorry you jumped to conclusions because she did that."

"It was you too," Betty cried out. "This isn't just Toni's fault. You could've pulled away."

"You wanted me to push her away when she was **crying**? At her greatest time of need? I'm not that heartless-" the words flew out of his mouth before he had the chance to think them through.

Betty gaped at him as if she couldn't believe she had just heard him say that. Her lips pursed together and she gave a quick nod of her head. "I guess that's what you belive," she scoffed before walking away.

Jughead stood still, knowing this wasn't the time to go after her. He had pushed her away because he thought it was for her best interests- her safety. And now he was afraid he had lost the only light in his life for good.

 _To be continued..._


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey friends! I'm sooo sorry for how long it's taken me to write and update this story. If you can't tell, I'm a procrastinator. Thank you all for your support and sweet words of encouragement. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 6**

Betty woke up to sunlight streaming onto her face. As she raised her hand to shield her eyes, Betty heard the sound of crunching leaves. _What the –_ She looked over and saw more leaves. _Oh no._ She quickly rubbed her eyes and saw she was not mistaken… she must have fallen asleep during her sob session after she had ran away from Jughead. Betty looked down and was horrified at the time. She'd probably have enough time to run back to her house and freshen up a bit before school. Probably.

Kevin's immediate greeting was, "Gosh Betty, what happened? You look like -"

"Save it, Keller," she said tiredly. "I know. I'll talk you later, okay?" Kevin sighed and gave her a look of pity before she walked away. He hoped Veronica would come back soon. He didn't know how much longer Betty would be able to hold up. And without her three closest friends there beside her, probably not much longer.

* * *

"Where's Jones?" Toni asked. It was lunch and she had let Jug have space in the morning, but he should have been here by now. A few Southside Serpents shrugged, not really knowing or caring about the answer. Her lips made a small frown. _He wouldn't have gone to talk to Betty. Not with things the way they were right now._ Then where...Toni smiled to herself.

The sign was still up which surprised her. She thought it would've been demolished by now. The whole place was being renovated by someone. The Lodges and Mr. Andrews didn't they say? Jughead looked up as Tony cracked the door open. "Jug-"

"What now, Toni?" Jughead said in a tired voice. His eyes were red and puffy and it seemed like he hadn't gotten a wink of sleep.

Toni maneuvered over and sat down beside him. "I know it was hard, but it was for the best. Now Betty is safe." No reaction. "You should be happy, Jug. We accomplished what we meant to do."

"No."

"What?"

"No." Juggie repeated louder. "It was never the plan to hurt her. I broke her Toni. While trying to protect her, I broke her." He put his head in his hands. Toni reached over to pat him, but he moved away.

"It's hard, Jug. You can't live in two worlds though." She paused. "At some point you have to choose." _Me or Betty._ Moments passed in silence. "You chose well." She whispered.

He glanced up sharply. "You wanted me to chose. Is that it, Toni? Was it all just to get rid of Betty?" He asked as if seeing for the first time. "I'm so blind," he said as the truth sank in. "It was all part of your plan for me to get rid of Betty, wasn't it? Wasn't it?" He demanded louder.

Toni sighed. "Well, maybe not as deviously as you make me out to be. But, in a sense, yes. Although, it did protect her from the Serpents. In the end she left you without a second glance." She laughed bitterly as Juggie's countenance darkened. "It's not me who's at fault. I gave you the ideas, but I never forced you to act upon them." She paused. "You're the one who broke her."

"Get out." Jughead looked her in the eyes. "Get out." Toni rose and merely shrugged as she left. That was his choice. Jughead sank into the ground. He had made a mess. He had let Toni manipulate him. Now he'd never be able to fix Betty and his relationship. It'd be best for everyone if he stayed away from them. It wouldn't be hard. No one needed him anyways.

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **So it's been a while and I got out of the Riverdale groove and stuff. That's probably why it's not up to par with the rest of the chapters. :) I do have the seventh and last chapter planned. I'm aiming to update the story soon...hopefully sooner than it took me this last time. Thanks you'll who've been sticking with me and this mess of a story. Once again, any comments, concerns, or constructive criticism is welcome.**


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